Field of the Invention
This invention relates to supported bin floors and particularly to formed sheet metal perforate panel floors such as are used for false floors above plenums in grain bins.
Floors which are used in grain storage bins are oftentimes elevated and supported above a base of the bin thereby creating a plenum between the base and the supported floor. The supported floor has perforations through it so that air which may be heated or ambient, can be passed from outside the bin into the plenum and up through the perforations in the floor for passage through overlying grain. The air may be used to dry, cool or otherwise condition overlying grain in the bin, e.g. to prevent subsequent spoilage of the grain. Such bins may serve as drying bins for continuous or batch drying and/or for longer term storage.
Supported bin floors generally include a plurality of longitudinal panels cut to appropriate lengths and arranged side-by-side to substantially cover the entire floor area of the bin, e.g., as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,520. In a common current commercial design of these panels illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B hereof and as sold under the trademark CHANNEL LOK by S & H Manufacturing Co., one variant of which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,110, a plurality of similar floor panel sections each have male and female flanges of U-shaped cross sections along opposite edges of the panel so that the male flange of one panel section can be positioned in and interlocked with the female flange of an adjacent floor panel section. Floor supports, e.g., as in FIG. 8 hereof, are distributed throughout the plenum. These supports subtend the panels and often engage the outside of the female flanges. In one embodiment, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,110, the supports used have outwardly diverging sides with recesses cut into the upper end of both sides so that the engaged flanges can be received therein. Another form of available support is shown in FIG. 8 of the drawings hereof. Other forms of supports are also available, including blocks placed on the base of the bin and on to which are placed the engaged flanges of the floor sections.
One key problem with the existing supported perforate floors in grain bins is that fine materials such as chaff, broken kernels and the like in the grain being stored and/or dried tend to sift through the perforations in these floors with successive uses and collect in the plenum. Such sifting and filling is accelerated in bins which use bottom unloading augers for continuous drying. These augers continuously stir, move or "work" the grain near the supported floor, and incidentally enhance the sifting action. This can result in substantially filling the plenum with fines over a relatively short period, e.g., in as little as one season of use with the floors as described above. The accumulation of fines obviously interferes with the airflow desired.
Procedures for attempting to clean out the plenum without removing the floor have generally proven unsatisfactory. For example, attempts to clean the plenum by reversing airflow in the bin or by opening portholes in the side walls corresponding to the plenum of the bin and extending lances or suction hoses into the plenum generally have proven unsatisfactory. This may be due, at least in part, to the tendency of moisture to accumulate in this fine material and cause compaction or "caking" as well as to the physical difficulty of reaching from the side portholes to all areas within the plenum, which is usually of a substantial diameter and has throughout that area many support posts.
With the conventional floors of similar panels which are progressively interlocked, typically it is necessary to disassemble and remove the entire floor to gain adequate access for cleaning or otherwise working in the entire area of the plenum around the many supports. Such process is time consuming and expensive.
It is highly desirable to provide a supported grain bin floor which can be partially removed selectively in various areas of the bin to gain direct access to the underlying space and components without disturbing the basic floor assembly, e.g., for removing any foreign material accumulated in a plenum or other space thereunder. It is also highly desirable to provide a supported grain floor which includes interlocked floor panels or sections which can be individually replaced or removed without disturbing the adjacent panels. It is further desirable to provide such a supported floor which can be supported with conventional posts subtending the panels and having recesses to engage the channel flanges and stabilize the floor. It is also desirable to provide such a supported floor that can be easily assembled, disassembled and efficiently stored and transported.
It is an object of this invention to provide a supported grain bin floor which will satisfy the aforenoted requirements and meet the particular needs for perforated floors in grain storage bins.
It is another object of this invention to provide a supported grain bin floor which can be partially disassembled to gain access to the underlying space and any material accumulated therein.
It is another object of this invention to provide a supported grain bin floor having panel sections which can be selectively removed from any area of the floor for maintenance or replacement purposes.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a supported grain bin floor as aforenoted and which includes interlocked panel sections that can be engaged by support posts of uniform configuration to stabilize the resulting elevated floor and maintain it in its designed state.
Further and additional objects of this invention will appear from the following description, accompanying drawings and appended claims.